Manston migrant centre at risk of disorder and disease, inspectors say

The Manston processing centre is intended to hold people for up to 24 hours while they undergo checks

Inspectors have warned that a migrant centre could see disease spreading and disorder if the number of detainees increase as expected in the summer.

The HM Inspectorate of Prisons report comes after the Manston processing centre in Kent struggled to cope with an influx of people last autumn.

Chief Inspector Charlie Taylor said it must be "an absolute priority" for the Home Office to take action.

The Home Office said staff had been "working relentlessly".

The report follows an unannounced inspection in February of short-term holding facilities in Kent for people who cross the channel in small boats.

Inspectors returned to Manston processing centre, Western Jet Foil and the Kent Intake Unit after a visit last summer highlighted "emerging risks".

Later in the year, a backlog of migrants at Manston led to thousands of people being housed in tents, amid overcrowding and outbreaks of disease.

'Distant staff'

In the latest report, inspectors said medical services at Manston had "improved substantially" and there were other improvements, including with day-to-day management.

But it also said there continued to be a lack of effective leadership and no evidence the most vulnerable were being consistently identified or provided with the right support.

It also said there was no proper oversight of the use of force or violent incidents and said staff were distant in their interactions with migrants.

At the Kent Intake Unit, detainees were held in two rooms, one of which was for families

Mr Taylor said Manston was able to function "reasonably" well when it was fairly empty during the inspection.

But he said: "I was not assured that if numbers increase, as they are expected to in the summer, the site will be able to cope much better than it did during the autumn.

"This could lead to vulnerable children and families remaining on the site for too long, the risk of infectious disease spreading and an increased possibility of disorder."

He said it must be an "absolute priority for the Home Office to ensure enough on-site staff and onward accommodation, so that migrants pass through Manston without delay."

In a statement, the Home Office welcomed the report, which it said highlighted improvements it had made.

It added: "We have already taken action to address some of the recommendations and look forward to working with the Inspectorate on continuing this process.

"Our staff are working relentlessly to reduce detention times, improve facilities and provide specialist medical care for unprecedented numbers of migrants arriving in the UK illegally."

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